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Co-op City Times / January 9, 2021
Director’s Viewpoint – Mary A friend, and fellow resident, gave me an assignment. She wants to know everything there is to know about the Covid-19 vaccines before it’s her turn to roll up her sleeve. Just deciding in what order people will be vaccinated is a job the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has been working on for months. The deliberators had three criteria. 1.) Minimize the number of deaths and serious disease, 2.) Keep society functioning, 3.) Be fair and unbiased. One more time: 1.) Who are most likely to die or get deathly ill if they contract the disease. 2.) Who are the most essential of the essential workers we count on to keep the wheels turning for the rest of us. 3.) Since poor people of color have already disproportionately died of the disease, take wealth, status, ethnicity, gender, skin color, out of the equation. They balanced those three factors to decide who should be first in line to receive a vaccination. Their recommendation: Phase 1a should include health care workers and people living in long-term care facilities, Phase 1b should include frontline essential workers and people 75 and older, and Phase 1c should include other essential workers and people aged 6574 or those with underlying medical conditions who are 16 years and over. An August 2020 Harris Poll survey showed 1,399 respondents mostly agreed that seniors and healthcare workers belonged in Phase 1a. Based on the reality that there will not be enough doses to inoculate everyone who wants one (for months and months), that became the CDC’s (and Joe Citizen’s) initial recommendation. But it’s just a suggestion. Each state has a final say as to who’s first. I can guarantee one thing. Whoever is publicly first – outside of the initially universally and undeniably agreed upon truly deserving ones – someone will complain about it. Governor Cuomo has pushed “those incarcerated in congregate settings” up on the list. (Such complaints!) He’s also said, though he would like his shot immediately, he will wait until every Black and Brown person in his age bracket gets theirs first. (He got no “attaboy” for this promise.) Congress was offered their shots two weeks ago (aka very soon after it got approved) as part of a “Continuity of Governance” plan, and man-oh-man did
Pearson, Secretary
Covid-19 Vaccine
erna. They have a lot in common. AOC (Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of 1.) Both are mRNA vaccines. (The “m” stands for CD 14) get an Instagram earful! You step up as a role model to demonstrate the vaccine’s safety to a wary “messenger.”) This vaccine variety is not made from a living virus. They’re made from the spiky part of public and whataya get? Complaints. the virus cell. The mRNA sends a message to the body Meanwhile… Some people are lining up to get teaching it to replicate the cell material. Then the body their “Fauci Ouchie.” CNN reports: “Vaxxies” are the produces the antibodies to recognize and fight the new selfies…taken with a needle in your arm. In the material, right then, and later if/when it confronts the CNN clip, we see Biden, Harris, Pence, and Fauci actual virus. given the vaccine. Still, at last count, only 60 to 70% 2.) Once injected, you’ll be observed for 15 to 30 of Americans are ready and willing to get theirs if and minutes. People should be standing by who know when they get the chance. It’s a whole ‘nother world what to do just in case you have a rare bad reaction. since Elvis, backstage at “The Ed Sullivan Show” in All vaccines stimulate the immune system often caus1956, took a polio shot to successfully ease the pubing normal side-affects such as redness, swelling, lic’s vaccine concerns. and/or pain at the injection site. For a couple of days We have people angling to cut ahead in line and after, you may feel fluish (fever, fatigue, chills, we have others scared to death of vaccine rumors. headache) as the body builds up protection. Lots of people were initially skeptical about Op3.) You’ll be told which vaccine you’re getting and eration Warp Speed because… well…Trump. But you’ll need a second dose of the same vaccine. You’ll give the devil his due. He threw billions at the virus get the second dose 21 or 28 days after the first, but (for his own self-image and interest, not out of altruyou will not be protected from the virus for about a ism, mind you) and it paid off bigly. week or two after that. There have been mishaps, but none life-threatening, at least not as life threatening as the disease itI hope this has been helpful. You can find all of self. the above by precisely Googling “CDC Covid-19 In making a logical decision to vaccinate or not, Vaccines your health.” There you’ll find current info one must EXAMINE THE SOURCE of the inforfor regular people, not just for professional healthmation. For me that’s New York Times followed up care workers. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019by the CDC website, and at times, the NIH (National ncov/vaccines/index.html/ Institute of Health), World Health Organization, and It’s still unknown when exactly it’ll be your turn Mayo Clinic websites. Trusting social media – or any (check eligibility at ny.gov/vaccine) or how long the site that ends in .com – for medical advice is asking immunity will last once you are vaccinated. So, stay for trouble. diligent, people, because, unfortunately, it’s not yet There is a ton of information and misinformation time to burn those masks. to sift through but when it’s my turn to take the vacI can be reached by voice or text at 718-219-2211 cine, I’ll take it. My apprehensions have calmed, beor by email at mpearson@riverbayboard.com. cause, as the newly inoculated Floridian, Dr. Tisha Raphael said on tv last week, “At the end of the day, I trust the science.” And look what science has given us. There are two highly effective vaccines currently available: one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Mod-
Building 24 Association
Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy 2021. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we haven’t been meeting and I haven’t been writing any articles updating everyone about what the building association has been doing. Lately, however, cooperators have been asking me about our year’s end “Thank You” gifts to our building workers and mailman. As a precaution, we didn’t collect donations for our building staff as we usually do before the holidays but we did reward the staff for their fine work from our savings account created by prior fundraising events like the Cake Sale and Thanksgiving Raffle. So rest assured, we have shown how much we appreciate all they do to keep our building and grounds beautiful throughout the year. The face masks I received that were donated to Co-op City by the Mayor’s Office some months ago have all but a very few been given out. There are still just a few left and if anyone needs one, please call me at 718-320-1458. Leave a message if I’m not in and I’ll return your call. I also have some hand sanitizer that was distributed by Riverbay. If you need some, I will be glad to fill up a 5 ounce or less container for you. Just call me and I’ll arrange a time to come to your door, wearing a mask, and fill your container. Let me close by thanking everyone for staying safe by wearing a face mask, keeping a safe distance from one another and observing the “maximum number of people” rules for the elevators (4) and the laundry room (5). The country is still in the grip of this deadly pandemic which hopefully will be ended when most or all of us have been vaccinated. Until then, let’s continue to stay safe and healthy. —Bruce Silberman
The deadline for submitting club articles is Mondays at 5 p.m.
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